While acknowledged in the Sona, Johannesburg’s water woes continue to threaten public health and equity, prompting demands for emergency funding, accountability and sustainable infrastructure Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
Johannesburg’s worsening water crisis was acknowledged on the national stage in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address (Sona) last week — yet for residents living with dry taps, political recognition is not enough.
On Wednesday, the People’s Water Forum, a collective of community organisations, activists and water experts, welcomed the strong language in the Sona and the engagement by political parties in their responses. However, they argued that “statements in the Sona are not enough”.
“Firm words are necessary but it must be recognised that this issue has received long overdue national attention because of sustained civil society action,” the forum said at a media briefing.
The forum, which has organised protests, marches and memorandums demanding action from the City of Johannesburg, said it awaited a direct response from the Presidency to a letter endorsed by more than 160 organisations and 3 500 individuals, which was sent on 10 February.
“That response must be followed by concrete action that reaches every community, especially the most marginalised who carry the heaviest burden of this crisis.”
The letter set out how Johannesburg’s deepening water crisis has become a national emergency requiring urgent intervention. It described widespread and prolonged outages across suburbs and townships alike, with some areas without reliable water for weeks at a time, affecting households, schools, clinics and businesses. The letter argued that the crisis was no longer an inconvenience but a public health threat that entrenched inequality and undermined dignity.
The groups stressed that the crisis was not primarily caused by drought but by chronic infrastructure neglect, massive water losses, governance failures at Joburg Water and poor coordination between city, provincial and national authorities.
They criticised the growing reliance on water tankers, saying those were being normalised as a substitute for a functioning system, particularly in informal settlements, and warned that the approach was unsustainable and harmful.
Johannesburg was unable to resolve the crisis on its own and the signatories urged the president to declare a national disaster, unlock emergency funding, appoint an independent intervention team and ensure transparent reporting.
They also called for equitable protection of vulnerable communities, clearer restrictions developed with residents and a parallel commission of inquiry into the systemic collapse of the city’s water and sanitation system.
Communities and organisations have tracked failures, demanded transparency and
escalated lived realities on the ground, the forum said on Wednesday. “When residents took to the streets, [the] government was compelled to listen”.
In his Sona speech, Ramaphosa promised urgent action to tackle South Africa’s water crisis, pledging to personally chair a national water crisis committee to coordinate interventions and hold failing municipalities accountable. He warned that municipal managers could face criminal charges for failing to provide basic water services.
The forum said basic government dysfunction had left communities without support, forcing them to organise their own responses.
“In recent engagements, communities were advised by political leaders to escalate concerns through ward committees,” it said. “Residents made it clear that many of these committees are not functional, despite receiving stipends and being expected to report to council structures. In reality, community organisations have stepped in to fill this vacuum.”
The forum said there was a long history of commitments without delivery, while a proliferation of task teams had not inspired confidence, adding: “Civic pressure was required to elevate this crisis to the highest level of government. For any meaningful execution, civil society must be embedded within all decision-making structures.”
As political parties positioned themselves before a fiercely contested local government election later this year, the scale of the crisis required political will to drive coordination across all spheres of the government and implement both immediate and long-term plans, supported by honest and regular communication, it said.
“To date, this coordination has not been demonstrated. The minister of water and sanitation [Pemmy Majodina] publicly indicated that the challenges in Johannesburg were not her responsibility, only shifting position after direct instruction from the president to urgently intervene,” it noted.
It said political grandstanding did not serve communities facing dry taps. “Most major political parties have, at different times, contributed to the steady decline of Johannesburg’s infrastructure, including the water system. Communities see election tactics for what they are. What is needed is genuine political will that prioritises the rights of all residents, regardless of party affiliation, geography or income.”
The forum said it was evident that neither the government nor any single political party could resolve the crisis alone. A collaborative approach that included all sectors of society was essential.
Civil society had consistently called for stronger action and accountability, starting with a clear medium-to-long-term sustainable national plan for water security. It argued that short-term updates covering the next few months were insufficient without a coherent path toward an equal and just water system across the country.
Second was the urgent ring-fencing of budgets for water and sanitation infrastructure. Real political commitment would be visible in national and municipal budgets that protected the funds from diversion.
“Allocations must not merely appear in documents but be secured in dedicated accounts. A 33% ring-fencing level is not acceptable,” the forum said, adding that revenue generated from water and sanitation must be reinvested in water and sanitation infrastructure.
The third demand was for meaningful civic and professional representation on the presidential water task team. “This body must be action driven, not a talk shop. It must be task driven, with clear deadlines and plans.
“It should include community representatives, independent engineers and independent experts in water and the built environment, together with state expertise from institutions such as CSIR and universities.”
Fourth was a firm government commitment to a professional civil service. Clear deadlines, project management discipline and consequence management were essential.
Finally, there must be transparent and integrated communication. “Communities can only respond effectively when information is clear, accurate and shared in real time.
“There must be coordinated communication between entities such as Rand Water and Joburg Water so that civil society and residents understand the true state of the system at all times.”
The forum also issued a stern warning to the City of Johannesburg. “There are serious flaws in the billing systems of the city. If communities, who have had no water for weeks on end, are billed for normal consumption, there will be widespread anger. The issue of air flow through water meters has not been adequately addressed and this will only compound matters.”
It reiterated that pressure would continue until the human right to water was fully protected. “The principle must be some water for all, not all water for some.”